May 7, 2015
Ramblings
- The Ramblers have advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the third consecutive year after sweeping Pfeiffer (25-20, 33-31, 25-15) in Tuesday's NCAA play-in match. Loyola received an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship after defeating Lewis to capture its third straight MIVA title.
- Thomas Jaeschke has been named AVCA National Player of the Year, becoming the first-ever Rambler to win the award and just the third recipient outside of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). In addition, Jeff Jendryk was tabbed AVCA Newcomer of the Year.
- Four Ramblers were recognized by the AVCA as the organization announced its 2015 All-America teams on Monday. Thomas Jaeschke was named First-Team All-America for the second straight year, while Peter Hutz and Jeff Jendryk were selected Second-Team All-America. Cody Caldwell earned Honorable Mention All-America honors for the second consecutive season.
Scouting the Anteaters
UC Irvine earned the No. 2 seed for the NCAA Championship after winning the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship title to receive the conference's automatic bid to the national tournament. The Anteaters defeated Pepperdine in four sets to claim the conference championship and shoot to the No. 1 spot on the AVCA Division I-II Men's Coaches' poll.
A trio of Anteaters were selected AVCA First-Team All-America, as Michael Brinkley earned his third straight First-Team honor, while Zack La Cavera and Tamir Hershko landed a spot on the list for the first time.
Jaeschke Named AVCA National Player of the Year
Junior Thomas Jaeschke has been named American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) Division I-II Men's National Player of the Year, the organization announced Wednesday night. Jaeschke is the first-ever Rambler to win the award and is just the third recipient from outside of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF).
The award caps off an incredible year for Jaeschke, as he was named MIVA (Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) Player of the Year, AVCA First-Team All-America, and Off The Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year.
Jendryk Tabbed AVCA Newcomer of the Year
Jeff Jendryk has been named AVCA Newcomer of the Year after an outstanding freshman campaign. He has started in all 27 contests and leads the team in blocks (100), while ranking second in hitting percentage (.495). He finished the regular season ranked sixth in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) in blocks per set with 1.18, which sat just outside the top-10 nationally. Jendryk recorded at least five blocks in eight games during the regular season, including a season-high seven on four separate occasions.
Four Ramblers earn AVCA All-America Honors
Four Ramblers were recognized as the AVCA announced its All-America teams on Monday. Thomas Jaeschke was named First-Team All-America for the second straight year, while both Peter Hutz and Jeff Jendryk received Second-Team honors. In addition, Cody Caldwell earned Honorable Mention All-America honors for the second consecutive year.
Head Coach Shane Davis
Just the third coach in program history, Shane Davis has established his alma mater as one of the premier programs in the country. Entering his 12th season, Davis is already the winningest coach in program history with a career record of 263-88. Davis and the Ramblers made history in 2014, bringing home the program's first-ever NCAA Championship title. An All-American setter and a 2003 graduate of Loyola, Davis is a four-time MIVA Coach of the Year (2005, 2006, 2010, 2014) and was named AVCA Coach of the Year in 2014.